Bi-stable materials, and structures or devices derived therefrom, can be present in either of two stable conformations, but are structurally instable any other conformations. In an example, bi-stable strips which are deployable in either a coiled conformation having longitudinal curvature and lateral linearity, or an extended conformation having longitudinal linearity and lateral curvature, are known in the art.
Structural support members based on bi-stable materials utilize this property to enable convenient reversibility between a retracted, stowable form and an extended, column-like, load-bearing form. The design of such structures however typically leads to formation in the extended form of a column which is either incomplete, having a gap, or otherwise not cross-sectionally affixed. This in turn leads to less than optimal load bearing strength.